A practical guide to successful workshops
Most of us have attended, or staged, a workshop that resulted in nothing of value. But it doesn't have to be that way. Done right, a workshop is a powerful tool for value creation.. Better solutions, ownership, learning, commitment and time-efficiency, to name a few.
After 24 years in workshops, I have learned how to plan, design and facilitate for success. And I have now summarized my learnings in a practical guide.
The book takes you through the process, from purpose to practicalities. And it provides tools, techniques, tricks and tips. Which you can use for planning, design, and in the workshop room.
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It is suitable for you with little or no experience, and for those of you who struggle to make your workshops work.
How to stage workshops that create value?
Throughout my career, workshops has been a tool used by many. But in my opinion, it is common to underestimate the work needed in planning, designing and carrying out a good workshop.
There are 4 common pitfalls:
The facilitator is also a participant. I would argue that no one can hold two roles and do a good job at the same time. The participants will also experience the person leading the workshop as biased in terms of the work they will be doing, and thus feel that their contribution is less important.
Poor planning. Without a plan, little is done, and the conclusion is often that a new workshop is needed.
Over-ambitious agenda . It can happen when there is a mismatch between ambitions and available resources. Too many activities on the agenda, activities that are not needed or activities that are not suitable for a workshop. And, not least when the workshop has to solve several jobs at the same time. Participants become frustrated, tired and confused.
The people don't "work" . It is not about there being anything wrong with the participants, and it is twofold. Firstly, way too often I have met people in workshops who do not know why they are there or what they are supposed to deliver. And the second is that the participants do not participate, but sit passively.
You can avoid all these pitfalls! It has been my ambition to write this book. To share my experience to help others succeed with workshops. Workshops that create value for both company and participants, workshops that are worth the effort!
In the book, I take you through my process, from defining goals and the desired result, to the practicalities. Those that sound obvious, but are easy to forget. I share tools, techniques and tips, and show examples of how they can be used in practice.